Indian newfound love for lights – in the dark

Northern lights above Ersfjordbotn outside Tromsø - one of the best places to see the natural phenomenon.
Photo: Amar Sunde Singh.

This season, the northern lights tourism in Norway has reached an all-time peak. India is among the top countries where the tourists come from.

The streets of the Norwegian town of Tromsø, far north, have normally not been busy during the winter months. The last few years this has changed. From November to late March the city streets are now filled with tourists from all over the world. Travellers from China, Indonesia and not least India are among the dominating tourist groups that comes to Tromsø to chase the northern lights. “It is a winter wonderland!” exclaims an Indian family to the local newspaper iTromsø. “Tromsø is brilliant, it’s like a dream come true”.

Since 2006, the foreign tourism in Tromsø has quadrupled. During the first month of 2018, winter tourism has already increased with 12 % from last year. Indians are of the tourist groups with a newfound love for northern lights.

Tromsø is said to be one of the best places in the world to see the aurora borealis, which is the Latin name for northern lights. Between November and January Tromsø has polar nights, which means that the sun do not show above the horizon. This makes the conditions perfect to see the northern lights, although it is usually visible between October and April.

Tromsø has a lot to offer when it comes to nature, culture and sightseeing. Besides chasing the northern lights, tourism agencies offer whale safaries, dog sled rides, fishing trips and other arctic experiences. Read more about what to do in Tromsø here.